Homecoming
by Sundarii
Summary: When Hyuuga Hiashi sends his newborn daughter Hinata away to ensure her protection, he never in a million years thought she'd go missing for twenty. [ Kaka x Hina ]
1. Chapter 1

**Homecoming

* * *

**

Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine. Though I really wish it was.

AN. I know this is really, really short, but I kind of wanted to get this off of my chest. Please let me know if you liked it, I really want to know! Especially since this is going to be my first attempt at KakaHina.

Enjoy!

* * *

It was black, save for the minute amount of light the crescent moon emitted. This night was unusually frigid for April, the air freezing cold and skin-peeling dry. The razor-sharp wind did not help matters, and the young man fought back a shiver.

A soft murmur broke the night-time silence.

Looking down, Hiashi rocked the infant in his arms as gently as a shinobi could. His awkward motions seemed to stir the baby further, despite his attempts to keep her sleeping. He gathered her closer to his chest, hoping the warmth would seep through his clothes and provide enough protection against the bone-chilling wind.

Hiashi looked around, waiting for the man who would save his daughter.

The gurgle that came from his arms drew his attention. He looked down to see his own pearl-white eyes blinking up sleepily at him. The tip of her nose and the balls of her enormous cheeks were flushed but she seemed not to notice how cold it was. His heart swelled as she yawned and blinked up again.

"Sleep, Hinata," he choked out. Who knew when he would see her again—if he would even live to see her again.

"I don't think she can understand you yet, Hiashi-san."

Hiashi almost stepped back in surprise. It unnerved him how fast the man was.

"You are late, Hokage-sama," Hiashi said curtly, covering his surprise with discontent, although only slightly—the blond man was doing him a huge favor, after all.

"Hinata is awake now."

Namikaze Minato scratched his head sheepishly. "I'm sorry," he whispered honestly. "But Kushina got pretty sick. I couldn't just leave her alone."

Hiashi could not fault him for that. The younger man still had family to take care of, unlike Hiashi, who was very recently a widower and about to be (voluntarily) child-less.

"This is Hinata-chan?" he cooed quietly at the baby girl. She grinned toothlessly in pleasure and drooled onto Hiashi's hand.

"Hokage-sama." Hiashi's strained, rushed whisper garnered Minato's full attention. "You must take her now, before we attract unwanted attention."

"Why are you so intent on sending her away now? Hinata-chan is only what, three months—

"There is a traitor in my home. Tonight was the second attempt on Hinata's life."

"I see." Minato looked at his friend seriously. "Are you absolutely sure you want to do this?"

"What I want to do," Hiashi replied bitterly, "is much different than what I need to do."

"You most likely will not be able to see her for a few years. That is, if you live to see these next few years."

Hiashi did not take offense to Minato's blunt words. "I know."

The heavy pain and regret reflected in Hiashi's voice arrested Minato's concerns. He nodded abruptly. "Then say goodbye to your daughter. Who knows when this bloody war will end."

Hiashi looked down at the baby, who was falling asleep in his swaying arms. "Goodbye, daughter. May you be safe until we meet again."

"Give her to me."

Hiashi shifted Hinata into a more comfortable position and handed her over to the Hokage.

"Wait," he said suddenly.

The Hyuuga clan leader pulled off a necklace given to him by his father. The black and white yin and yang was the symbol of the Hyuuga for decades, and he would send it with his daughter—a reminder of her heritage, and more importantly, of the father who loved her enough to send her away.

"I'm off, then."

And in the blink of an eye, his daughter was gone, her location known only by the Fourth Hokage.

Hiashi would not see his daughter for another twenty years because six and a half months later, Namikaze Minato died, taking the knowledge of the location of one Hyuuga Hinata with him to the grave.

* * *

End chapter 1.


	2. Chapter 2

**Homecoming **

Chapter 1

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Nope. .

A HUGE thanks to **Celia** for betaing.

* * *

She made no effort to stay quiet as her feet crunched loudly against the twigs and leaves sitting on the forest floor. Her breath came in sets of heavy pants, but the young woman made no effort to stop sprinting.

Not seeing anyone within a seventy meter circumference with 360 degree, grey-scaled sight, she dove behind a large rock and clutched at her aching side. Taking a small break, she put her hands on her wobbly knees, sucking in the night air. Her head fell against the cool rock in a moment of weakness. Enlarged veins swelled down, and color returned to her world.

"There's no point in running from us," a nasally voice said from the left. The woman stiffened. _How did they get here so quickly?_

From her right came another voice. "Come with us," he said, his low tone persuasive. "You'll never have to run again…Hinata-sama."

"Don't…call…me that," she demanded between bursts of breath. "You have…no right!"

He smiled, baring discolored yellow teeth, the tops capped with a nasty brown; immediately Hinata knew he chewed tobacco. Whether this information would be helpful at all was something she wouldn't have a chance to discover, as the first man began to speak once more.

"You must be tired from running so much," he cooed sympathetically. As he stepped forward and out of the shade, the silver of his knife gleamed in the moonlight.

"I will _never_ go with you willingly. Especially not after what you've done," she snarled, vividly remembering awful screams, heavy smoke, and blazing fire—

"Come now, Hinata-sama. We can make amends," Thug number 2 said as he walked towards her, twigs snapping under enormous feet. He nodded his head towards his partner, who slowly made his way closer. Looking at her in amusement, he raised his arms. "See? I ain't got no weapons. I ain't gonna hurt you."

Hinata's vision sharpened as the thugs came closer. "Stop where you are."

The two men stopped. "Well lookie here," the larger one said in awe. "We've got ourselves a byakugan!"

"Imbecile," the other said, annoyance written on his face. "What the hell did you think we were hunting her for? Her miko skills?" he snorted.

"I don't know what you are saying," she snapped, beginning to worry at the joy in the man's voice, "but I suggest you remain where you are."

"It's in your best interests to cooperate," the nasally one said. "We're under orders not to damage the goods, you understand."

Hinata felt her veins elevate as her anger rose.

"Alright, Inoue, you get the left side, I'll get the right."

"Sure thing, Hachi."

As they slowly came closer, Hinata sprinted. The larger caught her wrist tightly to prevent her from running further but she used that momentum to swivel closer. Surprised by her actions, Inoue, unable to move as she punched him in the gut with her glowing fists, crumpled onto the floor in pain, vomiting.

The smaller brute gave a garbled yell and headed towards her at a faster pace, lashing out at the back of her head. Seeing the attack with her 360 degree vision, Hinata ducked and sent an uppercut with a blue fist. Shocked at her own superhuman strength, she dazedly watched as Hachi was sent flying.

When he crashed head-first into a nearby tree, Hinata felt dread sink into her stomach, as she heard a sickening crack of a spine snapping.

Her eyes narrowed and vision increased. White eyes scanned the nearby vicinity, but nowhere did she see the light blue tunnel system flowing through his body—the telltale sign of life in every single breathing creature on the planet. The horrifying realization struck hard as Hinata desperately searched harder, pouring more energy into her advanced eyesight.

The man was deceased.

Hinata fled.

* * *

Two hundred kilometers north, an unhappy Hokage tapped a manicured nail against her wooden desk.

The clock on the adjacent wall clicked with every second, each tick reminding Tsunade of one _very_ late jounin, who should have been at the office about—she calculated the math—about 10,800 clicks ago.

10,801 clicks ago.

10,802 clicks ago.

18,803 clicks—

"Finally, you're here. You know you've kept me waiting," she said, not bothering to hide the twitch in her left eye.

Hatake Kakashi looked around the Hokage's office, expertly avoiding his superior's angry glare. "Tsunade-sama…"

"Save it. Tell it to your teammates when you meet them in about, oh, seventy minutes."

"Teammates?" he asked, slouching. "I thought I was on vacation."

"Not anymore, and especially not after you kept me waiting _three goddamn hours_," she emphasized. Satisfied with the way he shifted uncomfortably, she continued. "Anyway, you were specifically asked for by this trade group," she said, shaking the file in her hand at the younger man. "Headed by Kariya Mugen."

"I'm going to have to decline." Catching the dark look on Tsunade's face, Kakashi hastily added, "Respectfully, of course."

"You know, you've been awfully laid back since I told you that you were Candidate Hokage."

"I'd like to enjoy my life before I inherit the position."

"It's not a death sentence, you fool."

"Actually, according to the statistics, I have about a 20% chance of surviving through Hokage-dom." At her silence, he continued explaining. "So...it kind of is a death sentence, really."

The muscles in Tsunade's forehead tightened. She lifted her hand to massage the area, feeling a headache coming on. "Look, Kakashi," she sighed. "Naruto still has a lot of growing up to do. I can't give him the title just yet but I'm really getting too old for this. You only have to do it for a few years, and then you can do whatever you want when you feel the boy is ready."

Kakashi exhaled, the breath coming out heavily. "I know."

"So will you take the mission or not?"

"If it's less than a B rank, give it to a genin team. They need the experience, not me," he said, trying to sound reasonable.

Suppressing a victorious smile, Tsunade lifted the folder, showing him the bright red letter marked on the folder. "You and your team leave in less than two hours."

"…Understood."

"They've already been briefed since you came **late**." She glowered at him. "You know you're going to have to get rid of that habit once you become Hokage."

Kakashi scratched the back of his head and let out a sheepish laugh he hoped sounded sincere. "Sorry about that, but I was visiting an old friend—

"I told you already, I don't care. Just take this," she said, handing him a folder of information. "Read this instead of that smut I know you have in your back pocket."

Kakashi ignored the jab and took the manila folder from her, cracking it open.

The mission seemed easy enough—protect a high-profile diamond trader and make sure none of the goods were stolen. He shook his head in distaste; for useless pieces of rock that were just pressed together by a little planetary heat and pressure, diamonds were an absurd commodity ridiculously in demand. Kakashi's annoyance increased as his eyes landed on—

"Honbetsu." He looked up. "It's monsoon season now."

"That's why you have to leave tonight. The rain starts in a few hours."

"And we need to be there by sunrise…"

"Be careful, too. Team 7 hasn't been together on a mission in a very long time."

"Perfect," he said, scanning the papyrus. "Wait…Team 7?" he asked, surprised. "Aren't they a little…overqualified…for a babysitting job?"

"To say the least," she shrugged. "But this client is paying a lot of money, and he wants the best. After the war, we can't afford to turn missions like these down, so..."

"Alright."

"Your client is already in his hotel room at the moment. The trading begins tomorrow evening, but he wants you there for the entire time. What was his name again—oh yes, Kariya. He wants you there for protection against his clients."

Kakashi's eye roved over the documents. "Why go through the trouble of trading during the rainy season?" he asked, uncovered eye narrowing slightly in suspicion. "There's more going on that he's not telling us. Smuggling contraband, perhaps…"

She nodded, leaning forward. "And whatever it is, he is making damn sure that we don't have anything to do with it."

"So what do you want me to do?"

"Look into it," she said simply. "If it's civilian nonsense, leave it alone."

"And if it's not?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"Take care of it."

"Understood."

"This mission shouldn't take more than a few days, maybe a week or two—if everything goes normally." She moved back and crossed her sculpted arms in front of her chest. "And when you come back, Konoha will have a new Hokage."

He grunted, pretending to be engrossed in the mission details.

"Don't die, Kakashi. I will be very displeased if you do."

The jounin rolled his eyes and snapped the folder shut. "Your concern is touching."

She waved a hand at him. "Dismissed."

* * *

A petite, young woman poked her head out of the dark alley. Opalescent eyes shifted nervously, looking right, left, right, and left one last time. The streets were empty, which meant no one in the vicinity would be looking for her. It was too soon for any more hunters to come to town.

She let out a breath, watching as the condensed air mixed with the rain. _Oh no_, she thought unhappily, looking up at the thick, threatening clouds hanging in the sky. _The monsoon is here already._ She pursed her lips—it would last about twelve weeks, during which she would be unable to leave the seaside town. Feeling the rain pelt heavily against her tattered poncho, she slipped out of the dark streets and headed uphill towards the nearest affordable inn.

After walking up and down the puddle-filled streets for an hour, she finally found herself at a dingy place with a rotting, misspelled sign—"HONBTSU TVERN"—and she slumped, knowing it would be the only place she could afford to stay for an extended period of time without completely exhausting her meager finances. Hinata pushed open the wooden doors with both hands.

The moment she entered the building, it was as if she was in a different world. Drunken couples sat intimately in dark corners, while the other guests were similarly entertained by scantily-clad women as loud music thumped from the speakers overhead. Feeling blood rush into her face with dangerous ferocity, she hastily pushed her way through the drunken crowd, stopping only once she reached the bar.

"I'd l-like a room," she stammered.

The bartender's hairy eyebrow rose as he took in her dripping wet, filthy appearance. "This don't look like your kind of place, missy. Try that homeless shelter down the street."

"I have money," she replied from under her hood, remembering the first—and last—time she'd stayed at a homeless shelter. The odor had been overpowering, the occupants disease-ridden. However, that had not been the worst of the experience: her fellow homeless accepted money in return for disclosing her location to her hunters, ensuing in a brief capture.

Hinata shuddered.

Inns, in her experience, tended to keep their clients' identities and businesses to themselves, preferring not to get caught up in other people's affairs.

The bartender looked at her suspiciously. "Only no-gooders try to hide their faces. I don't want no trouble coming here—

"You must excuse me," she said, lifting her hood. _This will help avoid unnecessary confrontation_, she thought, trying not to cringe as his eyes widened with curiosity.

"You blind?" he asked, sounding sympathetic.

"Nearly," she lied. "In the war."

"Don't I know it," he said, showing her a nasty scar on the underside of his throat. The Fourth Shinobi War had not only taken the lives of ninja, but also the lives of thousands of civilians, unable to fight against the immense power of ninja. Hinata knew only too well the pain caused by the crossfire. The burns, slashes, broken bones…the smell of rotting corpses and blood would never be erased from her memory.

A customer beckoned and the bartender distractedly filled a pitcher with beer, easily sliding it down the wooden tabletop. "You can go pay upstairs," he said finally. "But I gotta tell you: this isn't the place for you, no matter how cheap the rooms are."

_I could have told you that, _she thought, glancing momentarily at a particular couple in the corner. "Thank you," she said anyway. Immediately Hinata headed up the creaky stairs. The music seemed to dim, if only a little, but it was of no matter. This inn was good enough.

For now.

"What do you want?" asked a teenage girl sitting behind a desk, flipping through a fashion magazine. Her short brown hair came down over her neck, barely covering the large blue bruise at the junction of her shoulder and neck. Hinata tore her eyes away from the mark.

"I'd like a room. Until the monsoon is over."

The girl looked up. "Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you were Ganju," she said, gaping at Hinata, clearly wondering about the color of her eyes. She shook her head, realizing her rudeness. "You said you want a room? Are you _sure_ you wanna be staying here? The place up the street might best better."

"I cannot afford it," Hinata said bluntly. The sooner she got the room, the sooner she could sleep.

"Alright, you just gotta sign here." She watched Hinata hesitantly sign the paper in front of her. "Taiyo, huh? You got a last name?"

"No."

"Orphan, huh…me too. I'm Hanako."

"It is a pleasure."

"I assume you're going to be staying for the whole season, since no one leaves this town or enters it during monsoon season. Even the boatmen are afraid of steering too far out; those currents are damn strong…"

Hinata digested the information. "I suppose I am, then, if I have no other choice." Realizing her words could possibly offend the girl, she hurried to mend the possible offense. "Not that I don't think your tavern is lovely—

The girl let out a bark of laughter. It was a rough sound, loud enough to startle Hinata. "Nice try," she snorted, "but I think we both know this place is a shithole."

Hinata didn't disagree.

"Anyway, let me get your key," she said, getting out of her chair with difficulty. Hinata's eyes widened as she caught sight of the girl's protruding stomach. Hanako immediately noticed. "A side-effect of working here," she explained bitterly.

Hinata shifted uncomfortably. She'd always been protected by the women at the Shrine, and although they'd taught her the facts of life, she had always been kept away from the opposite sex. Most interactions with other boys her age had been brief and hurried.

The girl handed over a set of keys and looked at her seriously. "If I were you," she whispered, "I'd leave the second it stopped raining." She looked left and right before extending her pointer finger, beckoning the new guest. "Don't leave your room after dark, and make sure you stay away from the owner," she warned quietly.

Hinata listened solemnly, beginning to wonder what kind of inn she had chosen. "Thank you for the advice. You are a kind person."

"Not really," Hanako responded, sitting back in the wide chair. "Just sympathetic enough." Heavy footsteps echoed from the staircase. "You should go," she said quickly. "Second to last room on the right."

Hinata nodded and picked up her light travelling bag, hastening to make it to the small room before whatever threat lingered in the hallway could see her.

* * *

"What the hell is that hag thinking?" yelled Uzumaki Naruto over the strong wind. He jumped over a falling tree, somersaulting gracefully onto an adjacent branch. "The storm is going to hit in a few hours, this is ridiculous!"

"Naruto, this mission is going to be annoying enough without you complaining," his pink-haired teammate snapped, brushing her hair out of her eyes roughly. "Just suck it up like the rest of us, got it?" she said, smiling sweetly. Naruto's Adam's apple bobbed as he took in the barely veiled threat.

"Besides," Kakashi said, breaking his silence, "don't you feel happy and nostalgic to be with your old sensei?" He glanced at Sai. "And old leader?"

"Sure," Sakura said, interrupting Naruto's emphatic denial. "Let's remember the good times, like when you sent a swarm of bees after me when I sprained my ankle."

"That was part of your survival training," he protested. Sakura lifted a dubious eyebrow.

"Or when you held my head underwater for six minutes after my concussion?" Naruto piped in. "But I think the worst had to be when you forced me to eat that bowl full of vegetables," the blond remembered with a shudder. "I wouldn't have minded normal vegetables as much, but you made me eat squash! SQUASH!"

"Nightmare," Kakashi agreed dryly, "but alas, equally important for your survival, Naruto."

"Sure," he scoffed. "Then what about that time you threw a shuriken at me when I was trying to use the toilet—

Kakashi sighed, remembering—not for the first time—when his students looked up to him with respect in their sparkling, innocent eyes. "You were much cuter as children," he lamented.

"Careful, Sensei, you're beginning to sound like a pedophile," warned Naruto, swinging from a tree branch and ripping the bark off.

Sakura snorted, the sound encouraging Naruto to expand on his insult. "You definitely fit the profile for one, anyway," he said gleefully, raising his voice to be heard over the elements. "Unmarried, over 30 years of age—

"Not true—"

"—Not to mention suspicious looking—I bet you have that weird pedo-stache under that mask—plus you work around children—"

"For your information, I do not have a pedo-stache. I _worked_ around children, past tense, and you are hardly considered a child at twenty," Kakashi responded, rolling his eyes and hoping against all odds that his former student would trip and fall into the mud.

"But you aren't denying it!" Naruto laughed, nearly colliding into a tree. "You heard, Sakura?"

"Give it a rest…"

Kakashi beamed at Sakura. He knew she was his favorite for a reason.

"Everyone knows Kakashi-sensei is pervert anyway."

Kakashi exhaled loudly through his nose.

Seven long hours left until they reached Honbetsu.

* * *

"_Akane!" she coughs, lifting her sleeve to cover her mouth and nose. The heavy, black smoke makes it difficult to breathe, but she needs to find the other girls. "Where are you? AKANE! AMI?" she yells, becoming increasingly desperate._

_It is becoming difficult to breathe, and the fire makes it impossible to navigate properly. She just needs a moment, a breath of fresh air before she can attempt to try again. _

_Hinata leaps over the hole burnt into the floor, ignoring the pain of her slightly charred feet. She runs out of the Shrine, away from the burning building, away from the screams, and crouches down on her knees, inhaling the fresher air. Her face is stained black and her feet slightly burned but Hinata cannot bear the thought of leaving her sisters in the fire, even if she perishes with them. Strengthening her resolve, she lifts herself up with a wince, only to watch in dismay as the Shrine begins to collapse on itself. _

_Horrified, she watches her home of the past nineteen years fall down, wall by wall. The rancid odor of burning flesh joins the smell of the burning wood, and Hinata screams, barely registering how the Shrine becomes smaller and smaller in the distance as she is carried off into the forest_.

Hinata awoke with a jerk, her eyes opening in alarm. She rested a hand on her forehead, feeling the beads of perspiration lying on the smooth surface of her skin. Her heart palpitated quickly from the nightmare. Inhaling deeply, she reminded herself of the dirty, peeling walls: she was safe from _those_ men.

She listened to the pitter patter of the rain against the rooftop directly above her. Water trickled down the window and slid against the wall to her right. She was in the dingy tavern, she reminded herself. _Not at the shrine_. _Not at the shrine. Never again at the Shrine._

Sighing, Hinata placed her bruised feet on the cold wooden floor and fetched a bowl from the bathroom, quietly placing it under the leak. Droplet after droplet splashed gently into the metal bowl. Adjusting her head slightly, she looked through the hole to the sky outside. The clouds were large and deep grey, and they rumbled as they passed above her. Hinata turned to the window to get a better view of the area, peering through the dirty glass as she wiped away the fog.

To her surprise, the town was bustling with movement as people garbed in vibrant yellows and greens carried buckets filled with vegetables and other goods. Children ran around their mothers' legs and around each other, clearly relishing in the rainfall. Umbrellas lay forgotten on the sidewalks as the adults headed for what looked like the river in masses. Curious, Hinata dressed herself quickly and walked out of the tavern in search of explanation.

She walked down the wet streets slowly, eagerly taking in the colorful celebrations around her; the joyous atmosphere was unlike anything she'd ever been around before. When she was at the shrine, things had never escalated to this level. Everything was always very controlled, and as she watched the young women dancing in the street, she found she couldn't be gladder to be around the townspeople.

Suddenly someone shook her arm, and with a swivel Hinata turned, ready to fight. To her surprise, it was the young tavern girl from the night before.

"Taiyo-san," she said with confusion, "I called you a few times, why didn't you stop?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," Hinata said with wide eyes, remembering the false name she had given to the girl. "I was just taking all this in; I must not have heard you."

"It's alright," Hanako said with a smile. Despite her fatigued appearance, she looked beautiful, Hinata noticed, taking in the jewelry and bright clothing. "I was just about to go in to work when I saw you here."

"What is going on?" Hinata asked, indicating the festival around her.

"It's a local thing, meant to celebrate the monsoon," Hanako explained. "You should go down to the river. People usually send tiny lamps down the river and make wishes for a prosperous season." She paused. "Just don't step in the river; otherwise you'll probably get sucked in by the current."

"I will make sure not to get too close," Hinata promised with a smile. Hanako returned it and bowed slightly, waddling her way to the tavern. Hinata returned the gesture but did not get a step closer to the river, as she was once against stopped by the younger girl's voice.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I wanted to tell you—since I know you'll be here for a while—I thought you might want to check out _Mizu_, that restaurant at the bottom of the hill. Gakushi-san is looking for a part-time assistant to help clean dishes and stuff like that."

"Oh," Hinata said, taken aback by the girl's thoughtfulness for her, a complete stranger. Hanako's kindness was slightly suspicious to Hinata, who had succumbed to a few tricks and learned the hard way not to trust people so easily before she landed herself in Honbetsu. But, as she looked at the younger girl's earnest face, she couldn't help but to trust the intentions. "Thank you for the advice, I will definitely look into it."

Rain dripped down Hanako's face slowly, smudging her carefully applied makeup. "I've got to get to work. Good luck!"

Hinata nodded, watching the pregnant girl waddle her way back into the dry tavern.

* * *

The team of four stepped on the rush of water, mostly unaffected by the rapid currents passing underneath their sandaled feet. Miniscule boats lit with oily wicks passed by them in groups. Noting the tiny crafts, Kakashi stopped. "We're here," he announced. "A little late…a lot late, actually…but we've finally reached Honbetsu."

"How do you know?" Naruto asked. He held up a soggy map. "This thing won't tell us anything, the ink is running off the goddamn page."

"Those boats," he said. "They're a Honbetsu specialty. People make wishes on them and send them down the river."

"How are they even still lit?" Sakura pondered. "Those would have been really helpful when it started raining last night, especially when a certain _someone_ slipped on a branch and fell to the ground."

Naruto cringed. "Doesn't the pain of a broken bone make up for that mistake?"

"I'm not an evil person, Naruto. I don't get enjoyment out of watching you get hurt."

Kakashi's eyebrow lifted in skepticism as the other two teammates snorted.

"Unless you deserve it," she amended quickly. "Which, most of the time, you do."

"Enough," Kakashi said, not in the mood to humor a fight between the blond and pinkette. Though he knew Naruto had obviously not meant to slip and break his arm, too much time had been wasted when Sakura had to heal the bone. "We need to find Honbetsu Tavern immediately. Sakura, go south. Sai, west. Naruto, you take the east."

"Yes, sir!" The set of jounin sprung into action, each jumping in different directions. Kakashi himself headed straight for the town; the client had not disclosed the exact location of the meeting place, and it very well could have been in the center of Honbetsu. He walked down the muddy road quickly, skimming the signs on each building..

After passing muddy street after muddy street, he headed up the inclination of the hill and exhaled in irritation; the search was going nowhere, and it was getting nowhere fast. Figuring it would save time if he just asked a local, Kakashi turned toward a nearby restaurant. He lifted the wet cloth curtain and sat at the stool adjacent to the table attached to the chef's stove, separated only by a small wooden window.

"Hello?" Kakashi ventured, looking around for the chef, who was conveniently nowhere in sight. He stretched his neck, trying to see beyond his narrow field of vision. His eye did not have to roam far to see a large man clad a dirtied white apron over his stiff red uniform. He seemed to be in deep conversation with a dark haired young woman, and Kakashi coughed loudly.

The pair turned around in surprise. "Hello," the man greeted. "Can I help you?"

"I need directions to Honbetsu Tavern," Kakashi said slowly, distracted by the young woman. It wasn't (entirely) her attractive features that drew him in, but her almond-shaped eyes, occupied by strangely opalescent irises. He'd seen lots of extraordinary eyes in his long career as a shinobi—hell, he himself had mismatched eyes—but there was something eerily familiar about her. When she shifted uncomfortably under his intense scrutiny, he switched his gaze to the man.

"Sure." The chef turned to the woman. "Alright, Taiyo-san, you can go ahead and start. There's already a pile of dishes already in the sink waiting for you."

The girl bowed slightly, silky hair shifting with the movement. "Thank you," she responded quietly. She shuffled without much sound to the kitchens, and briefly Kakashi thought she could have made a decent shinobi—with the proper training.

His musings on the woman stopped as the older man gave him general directions to the tavern. Kakashi thanked the man, promising to return the favor by returning and dining. He made his way back toward the rainy outdoors, following the chef's simple instructions to make a right and head uphill. The tavern would be to the left, but Kakashi knew by the two glaring sets of eyes—and one mildly annoyed set—that he'd reached his destination.

"What?"

"We've been waiting for you! For like, friggin' fifteen minutes!" Sakura complained.

"Well, why didn't you go inside?" he asked, pointing out the obvious. "It's probably warm inside."

The trio looked at each other, unsure of why they had not thought to enter the tavern while waiting for the older man to arrive.

"Geniuses, all of you," Kakashi complimented, ignoring the glowers. "Let's just hope we haven't been fired yet."

He entered the run down inn, immediately unimpressed with the place. Looking around, he saw a dingy tavern, filled with ancient, wobbly wooden tables and customers who were even older. He stepped carelessly on the broken glass lying on the floor, thinking it would probably be more sanitary to spend the new few weeks in the woods. At the sound of glass chips crunching, a very pregnant, young waitress turned. Kakashi frowned—she seemed a little too young to be carrying such a burden around. Her eyes lit with understanding as she looked at Kakashi up and down, taking in his alien attire.

"Are you the shinobi?"

"Yes."

"You're late."

"Due to unforeseen circumstances—" he heard Naruto cough and shuffle behind him— "we had to stop for some time."

She shrugged. "Please wait here. I will inform Kariya-san you are here."

"There is no need. We're already late," Kakashi said to her.

She gave him a tired, displeased look but nodded she set down a metal tray on the counter. "This way, then," she said, putting a hand on the small of her back in exhaustion. She led the team up a creaky staircase, and the shinobi followed her silently, exchanging glances when their hostess almost lost her balance going up the stairs. By the end of the second flight of stairs, she had to pause to catch her breath.

"That girl is going to go into labor too early if she keeps it up," she muttered to Kakashi. "By the looks of her, she's due in about a week. This is not good for her at all."

"I'm sure she knows what she's doing," he said lowly, though he wasn't unsympathetic to the girl's fatigue. At Sakura's glare, he waved his hand, indicating that she talk to the younger girl. She took the invitation and pushed Kakashi to the side of the staircase so she could get by.

"You know…Hanako-san," Sakura said, reading the girl's name plate. She put a friendly hand on the younger girl's tiny shoulder. "If you just tell us where to go, I'm sure Kariya-san won't mind if you aren't there with us." She ignored the slight panic on the girl's face. "You should not be doing so much physical work this late in your pregnancy."

"**No**!" Hanako said forcefully between small wheezes. "I can take you there, alright?" And without a second word, she waddled up the stairs with more speed than before. Sakura threw her a worried look before following the girl up one more flight of stairs.

"This is _really_ not good for her," she hissed to Kakashi. "At this stage in the pregnancy, she should be sitting and waiting to have the baby."

"You can only give people advice, Sakura," he said so that only she could hear him. "What they do with it is out of your control."

"That's not good enough."

"It has to be."

"We're here," Hanako said, chest rising up and down as she breathed heavily. She knocked on the door. "Kariya-san, the shinobi are here," she said. She left quickly, clearly not wanting to wait for her boss to open the door.

There was a crash followed by loud hurried movements. _Already suspicious, and I haven't even met you yet,_ Kakashi thought. The door swiveled open and a tall, handsome man greeted them. Kakashi recognized Kariya Mugen from the picture in his mission folder, as did the others. He had dark brown eyes and a slightly crooked nose—someone had probably broken it before—but the rest of his face was smooth and even. Everything about his appearance, from his tailored suit to the slight graying of his dark hair to the shape of his glasses, screamed of his profession as a businessman.

"Nice of you to show," he said to Kakashi, his face fixed in annoyance. "You're late by…a…few…hours," he said slowly, realizing there was a girl amongst the men, and that she was a rather pretty one at that. His features rearranged themselves and right before their eyes, Kariya transformed into a gentleman, smiling at her. Kakashi, with some amusement, noticed Sakura's restraint as she struggled not to roll her eyes.

"We were unavoidably detained."

Kariya laughed winningly at Sai's limited explanation, as if thirty seconds ago he had not been snapping at them for their tardiness. "Just don't be late next time," he said, winking at Sakura.

Not for the first time, Kakashi was glad for the mask—it would have been difficult to hide the entertained smirk on his face. If their client thought he had even the slightest chance with Sakura, who, after the whole Sasuke debacle knew all too well not to fall too easily for any man, then he was going to be unpleasantly surprised.

Kariya opened the door wider and gestured for the shinobi to enter.

"Well, shall we get started?"

* * *

**END CHAPTER 1**

* * *

Sooooo?

*dodges tomatoes*

I know, I know. An update after 3 months? Sorry!

I hope you guys liked it either way : )


	3. Chapter 3

**Homecoming **

Chapter 2

* * *

**Disclaimer**: Naruto does not belong to me! Booo.

Author's notes at bottom ^_^

Enjoy the chapter, edited courtesy of my amazing beta **Celia**!

* * *

"Good night, Taiyo-san!"

"Good night, sir."

"See you in two days! Eight o'clock, sharp—don't forget!"

Hinata nodded her assent and waved to the chubby man before stepping out of the restaurant. Stretching, she slowly made her way past the small houses and dirt roads. The scenery of this new town was hardly fascinating and looked like every other small village she'd been to; despite this, her full attention was captured by everything about Honbetsu—whether they were the weathered, stagnant trees, bustling villagers, or thick angry clouds, groaning above her.

In the darkness of the night, the clouds had turned an eerie purple. As lightning menacingly highlighted the dark sky, she lifted an arm in attempt to protect herself from the downpour, but the effort was largely futile. Pelted by the onslaught of rain, she could feel the wetness slide over her chest and between her breasts, down her flat stomach, quickly coating her body like a second skin. The fine hair on her arms stood up, and Hinata increased her pace.

Though she was not entirely familiar with the geography of Honbetsu just yet, Hinata knew one fail-proof way of finding the tavern: she'd listen for the most obnoxious music known to mankind, and then feel the heavy thump of the bass disturb the natural beat of her heart—the greater the disturbance, the closer she was to the inn. This is precisely what the timid woman did, and within a few minutes, she was at Honbetsu Tavern.

Weaving her way through the crowd, Hinata slipped past the bartender and made her way up the stairs.

"Taiyo-san!"

"Hanako-san," she greeted. "How are you?"

"Alright, I guess." The younger girl waved a pastel-colored book in the air; _What to Expect When You're Going to be a Mother: Teenage Edition._ "Old Man Haru got it for me. Nice of him, no?" she asked, pleased.

"Very nice, indeed," Hinata responded, teeth chattering.

"Did you just come from the restaurant?"

"Yes," Hinata smiled shakily to the younger girl, trying her best to repress her shivers. "Gakushi-san is a lovely man."

"He is, isn't he? Did he hire you full-time?"

Hinata could feel the cold begin to seep into her soul. Wiping her dripping face, she told Hanako: "He said he couldn't afford to, but he offered me a job dish washing on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays."

"That should help you out for a while," Hanako said. She paused. "Shit, why are you so wet?"

"…It is raining."

"Obviously, it's monsoon season." Hanako rolled her eyes. "I meant, why don't you have an umbrella?"

Hinata's mouth opened. "I…I don't know," she admitted sheepishly, almost laughing at her idiotic mistake. Hanako smiled in exasperation.

"You have a lot to learn about this area, Taiyo-san…why don't you get dressed in something warm? I can bring up some tea."

"Don't bother yourself," Hinata responded, alarmed at the thought of the heavily pregnant teen going up and down the stairs just to do her a favor. "I will change, then I will fetch us some tea. You just need to tell me where to get it from."

"If you go to the kitchens, you can ask the cook. Usually you could just make it yourself, but since the owner is in town, Mako-san will be here for a while. Just tell her it's for me and you and she'll help us out."

Hinata nodded and immediately set out for her room, located down the hall. Once in, she stripped and tossed the wet articles in the corner of the room, happy to be able to peel the wet clothing off.

Wrapping a towel around her shivering body, she froze; her tiny sack of belongings contained only the money she'd brought with her, which only meant one thing: she had nothing to wear. All her two pairs of clothes were either caked with mud or dripping wet…

Hinata could think of only one thing to do.

She opened the door slightly, and looking right and then left, and right again, she stuck her head out the tiny opening she'd made. "Hanako-san!" she called in a hurried whisper, hoping against all odds that the girl could hear over the pounding music.

The girl didn't move.

"Hanako-san!" she said a little louder.

No movement from Hanako, except for the turning of a page from her maternity book.

"Hanako-san!" she nearly yelled.

The girl looked up. "What's up?"

"If you don't mind…I hate to ask…but could you lend me…" here she let out a distressed sound, gesturing toward her body.

"Clothes? Sure. They might be a little bit big, though." She paused, staring at Hinata's towel-covered chest.

"What's wrong?" Hinata asked, uncomfortable with the close scrutiny of her top area.

"Sorry!" she apologized, blushing. "I was distracted by your necklace. I've never seen anything like that before."

"Oh. Neither have I, actually," Hinata admitted. "My caretakers only told me it was something my father gave me when I was an infant. I forgot I had it on."

The necklace was Hinata's most treasured possession. An elegantly crafted sign of the ying and yang, it was slightly withered with age and remained her only tie to a past she'd never experienced and a family she'd never known.

"You're lucky you have even that. I don't have anything left from my parents." She shook herself. "Anyway, just give me a minute, or two, I'll be back with some clothes."

"Take your time," Hinata assured, hoping that Hanako would not.

The younger girl left and Hinata pushed the door closed. She retreated to the bed, sitting on it rigidly. Her eyes wandered around the room.

Peeling paint.

Rough wooden floors, more than a few panels jutting out dangerously.

A lone spider, crawling on the—

_Wait_.

With a panicked yelp, Hinata hurriedly backed up against the headboard, where she could easily keep a safe distance from the menace. Though she'd seen her fair share of disgusting creatures while she travelled, she could never get over her fear of spiders; perhaps it was their ability to produce unnatural amounts of offspring (an experience was something Hinata was _wholly_ unwilling to remember). With a shudder that had nothing to do with her body temperature, she watched it carefully, eyes following every single calm movement the arachnid made. It neared toward the window, and Hinata leapt out of the bed and headed toward the door.

Heart pounding wildly, she grabbed a torn up phone book from the small desk courtesy of the tavern. Slowly, she neared the eight-legged creature and held it up high, ready to strike.

Tick…

Tock…

Tick…

Tock…

Seconds became minutes. Still, the book became no closer to being splattered with spider innards.

Much as she wanted to, Hinata could not bear to kill the tiny creature—not when it had not done anything to her. With a long suffering sigh, she opened the window and used the book to nudge the spider to the outside world where it belonged.

As she ushered the tiny monster through the window, her eye caught a peculiar sight. The tall man—who'd come to the restaurant asking for directions earlier in the evening—stood with three other people, uncaring of the heavy rain bombarding them. His head was bowed and his ashy-silver hair shone with wetness. From his bowed head, Hinata guessed he was intently listening to what the pink-haired woman was saying—she was very obviously passionate about whatever she was talking about, as her wild hand gestures and annoyed facial expression indicated. They were garbed with identical forehead protectors along with the same pouch that (Hinata—unfortunately—knew firsthand) contained weapons. Quite obviously they were shinobi…scum of the earth, responsible for thousands of deaths.

Her eyes narrowed in dislike.

Luckily, at that moment, Hanako knocked on the door. "I have clothes for you, Taiyo-san!"

"Coming!" Hinata shut the window with greater force than necessary and made her way to the door. "I can't thank you enough."

Hanako handed her the clothes. "I hope you don't mind, but the only thing I could find here was my old uniform. People will think you work here, but as long as you tell them you're just borrowing it, you should be fine."

Hinata nodded.

"Now why don't you get changed, and we can have some nice, hot tea?"

Hinata smiled, forcefully forgetting about the shinobi. "That sounds wonderful."

* * *

Kakashi sneezed.

"Someone's thinking about you!"

"Infinitely more likely that I'm getting a cold," he replied to the blond dubiously. "Whose idea was it to come outside, anyway?"

"Mine. But I hadn't known how delicate you were, Kakashi-sensei," Sai admitted with some concern. "I guess when you get old a little rain really will kill you."

The jounin nearly sweat dropped. "Every single syllable of that statement was wrong," he said, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "I'm hardly considered delicate, I'm not that old, this isn't 'a little' rain, and on top of that, it won't kill me." He paused. "I hope, anyway. Can't really ever be too sure as to what will or won't kill you…"

"Right," Sakura snorted. "Anyway, what were we talking about again?"

"How we are going to find out what Kariya Mugen is up to," Sai supplied helpfully. "Your face has again turned a lovely shade of puce, Sakura-san. This must be a sign you have very strong feelings for him."

"You could say that," she growled, roughly running a hand through her dripping wet hair.

"He's a jerk," Naruto agreed wholeheartedly. "Did you see his face when that girl—Hanako—brought up the wrong order? I thought he was going to hit her or something. What did he say to her again? '_You're lucky_,' I think—what the hell was that supposed to mean?"

"Who knows?" Sakura exploded. "But obviously he didn't think that we'd be able to hear him. Otherwise, I doubt he would have said anything."

"He didn't think _you'd_ be able to hear him," Naruto corrected. "His face completely changed when he saw you, it was like friggin' Hekyll and Jyde."

"You mean Jekyll and Hyde?" Sai asked. "I read that book."

"Congratulations," Sakura snarled.

"Calm down, Sakura," Kakashi scolded. "We all know he isn't a great guy. We'll find out what he's doing and take care of it so that no one gets hurt, alright? So just take a breath and control yourself."

Only the sound of the tavern's slowly winding down music filled the silence that followed.

"Alright," she said grudgingly. "So what should we do?"

Kakashi turned to Naruto. This was a perfect opportunity to test how far his successor had come in the tactical department—_Might as well start his Hokage training now._ "What do you think we should do?"

Two blond eyebrows came together as the shinobi thought. "We should first interview the employees. We don't know where their loyalties lie, though I think we can expect lots of good information from our hostess—what was her name again—Hanako."

Kakashi put a hand on his former student's shoulder. "Couldn't have said it better," he said, uncovered eye crinkling. "We'll get started first thing tomorrow morning. Sakura, Sai: you two will remain with Kariya through the entirety of his meeting. Naruto and I will excuse ourselves for an hour or two, depending on what Hanako-san will—or won't—tell us."

"Don't you think I'd be a better match to talk to her? As a woman, of course."

"Yes, but you and your sympathetic womanliness nearly scared that girl away earlier. Your job is to cozy up to Kariya. That's our best chance of finding out what is going on in that head of his."

The pinkette slumped. "Understood."

"Good. Just one more thing before we call it a night."

The younger members of Team 7 looked at him expectantly.

"I don't think it's a good idea, Sakura, for you to be sleeping by yourself. I know," he said, holding up a hand when she opened her mouth to protest. "I know you usually get your own room. But this time it doesn't feel right, and after twenty years on the job, I've learned to trust my instinct. So choose now who you're going to share your room with, or I will choose for you."

"Pervert," Sakura muttered.

"I'm serious," he warned. Kariya Mugen had already shown a strong inclination towards the fairer sex, and while Kakashi knew that Sakura could beat him with a flick of her finger, he also had a feeling that Kariya was the type of man who would drug a woman and sneak into her room at night—just like he had a feeling Gai would rather eat pickled toenails than end their one-sided rivalry.

With someone else in the room, the chances of such a scenario were drastically lessened, and Kakashi would be spared the burden of worrying about whether or not Sakura had, on one extreme, been assaulted, or, on the other, brutally mutilated their client.

"Alright," she sighed. "Well, there's basically no way I'm sharing a room with Naruto. Sorry, Naruto," she said unapologetically as he pouted, "but you snore, fart, and very often demolish trees and whatnot with rasengan in your sleep. I also don't trust you around my underclothes."

Naruto merely grinned.

Sakura then paused, turning to Sai. "And then there's Mr. Tact himself, who can just be annoying."

"My feelings are perfectly reciprocal."

"So, I think I can safely say that I one-hundred percent would rather share my room with Kakashi-sensei than either of you two."

Kakashi barely refrained from slumping. It wasn't that he disliked Sakura, far from it—he would go as far as to call her a precious person—but aside from the Hokage herself, she was quite possibly the moodiest person he knew, and the combination of her irritability and superhuman strength was often troublesome to deal with.

"Alright, then," he said briskly. "Let's get going. Tomorrow is going to be a long day."

* * *

_It's not only going to be a long day_, Kakashi thought darkly. _It's going to be a long month._

_Go down the stairs, past the main floor, make a right, and you'll see the big kitchen doors._

Dressed in a dry kimono that was slightly too large, Hinata carefully made her way down the creaky old stairs, mentally repeating Hanako's instructions. _Make a right…kitchen!_

She slid the thin door open and stepped in. The room was somewhat more modern than the rest of the tavern, with slightly varnished wooden floors and walls yellowed with time. As she took in the surroundings, Hinata immediately noticed the slightly masculine woman huddled over the kitchen counter.

"Excuse me…" she ventured. "Are you possibly Mako-san?"

The woman grunted. "Who wants to know?" she asked, flipping a page in what seemed to be a tattoo magazine. White eyes warily traced over the considerable amount of body decoration on the woman's arms, neck, and ears. The last time Hinata had seen someone covered in such extensive body art, she'd been gagged and completely bound on a filthy floor, stuck in a location with no neighbors within a three kilometer radius.

"I—I…was just wondering…" she said nervously, her eyes wildly roaming the visible tattoos, searching for _that _symbol. "Um, Hanako-san said—

"Don't blubber, girl! Out with it!"

"Hanako-san sent me here..."

"Oh. That," she said, understanding dawning in her small eyes. "You're the new help, huh?"

"Umm—

"Well, I've got the owner's nighttime meal right here. She was supposed to bring it up about fifteen minutes ago; Kariya-san is not going to be happy."

Hinata shook her head in attempt to correct the larger woman. "I'm afraid—

"You damn well should be! You better save your excuses and give him his food before he takes it out on you."

Hinata shifted uncomfortably. "I don't think—

"Don't just stand there, girlie! Room 303, GO!"

At the barked order, Hinata jumped and unthinkingly obeyed, all but running towards the exit. As soon as she was out of the chef's field of vision, she leaned against the wall, clutching the tray tightly. She considered her choices: give Hanako more work to do and expose the pregnant girl to a potentially violent man, or just suck it up, do her a favor, and hope for the best.

The ethical choice was obvious.

Decision made without further consideration, Hinata started up the stairs.

When she got to the third floor—a cramped area, with only two rooms in the small space—Hinata knocked on the crooked door.

"Who is it?" came a muffled voice.

"…I have your dinner."

The door swung open. "You know you've kept Kariya-sama waiting."

Hinata didn't know what to say. "My apologies."

"There's no need to get angry," interrupted a charming, disembodied voice. The door opened wider, revealing a broad-shouldered, dark haired man. His glasses gleamed in the dim light, covering his eyes. Despite this minor obscurity Hinata blushed; he was extremely handsome. She averted her eyes to the ground, heart beating furiously.

A pair of shiny black shoes entered her field of vision. She felt hot hands lift up her chin, and she stared right at the man. The glare from the light was now gone and she could see clearly into green eyes.

"You don't have to hide from me, my dear. What is your name?" he asked, pearly-white teeth flashing.

_What is my name? _"T…Taiyo."

His smile widened, though oddly Hinata felt no real warmth from him.

"Lovely name. My name is Kariya Mugen."

"Pleased to meet you," she whispered shyly, eyes falling to the floor.

He gently took the tray from her and gave it to his assistant. Grabbing her hand, he kissed it and said, "The pleasure is all mine." He looked at her curiously, stroking her hand. "You must be new here."

Hinata pulled her hand back towards her body, but Kariya held them firmly in his larger ones. "I don't work here," she blurted, feeling a sudden need for a five thousand mile difference between them.

A black eyebrow rose. "No? But you are wearing the Inn's uniform."

"It was loaned."

"Correct me if I'm wrong," he said silkily, hands tightening meaningfully around hers, "but loans need to be paid back to the owner, no?"

Hinata's shocked eyes flew up to meet his.

"I am simply joking with you, Taiyo-san," he laughed.

Hinata gave a tentative smile and tried her hardest not to rip her hands from his iron-like grasp. "O-of course."

"So, may I ask why you have taken my dear Hanako-chan's place tonight?"

"She was not feeling well," Hinata lied, but with good reason, she convinced herself. How was there any way that she could confess to a supposedly violent man that he had been forgotten about?

He released her much smaller hands from his hot grasp. "I see," he said thoughtfully. "So this has nothing to do with her having forgotten to deliver me my supper for the third time this month?" He didn't wait for Hinata to answer. "She is getting smarter, my Hanako…sending people to take the blame for her so she won't have to deal with the consequences."

"Uh…" Hinata managed.

"Kakashi-san."

"What?" Hinata responded dumbly.

Kariya Mugen stepped past her fluidly and Hinata turned around. To her great surprise, the Konoha shinobi who had been standing outside across the street not ten minutes before was now five feet in front of her; she hadn't heard a third person breathing, or footsteps, or even stairs creaking to indicate his presence.

Her eyes flew to his masked face. Water slowly dripped down from his hair and travelled down his black clothes but the wetness seemed not to bother him. He looked at her curiously, head tilted slightly.

"Is your name Kakashi, as well?" he joked mildly.

Hinata's automatic aversion for ninja-kind kicked in. Her mouth turned down. "No, Shinobi-san."

His dark grey eye lingered on her for a moment before he turned to his employer. "We will be turning in for the night. Is there anything else we need to know or do before this night is over?"

Kariya's eyes went to the ceiling as he thought. "No," he said eventually. "Not unless you're willing to fetch me another dinner tray, the one that was just brought is probably cold by now…no thanks to Hanako-chan," he said, directing his annoyance at Hinata.

"Unfortunately," Kakashi said, stuffing his hands into his pockets, "that is not a part of my job, but—

"I pay you enough for you do what I want you to do," he said dismissively. "You can get another tray from the kitchens."

The silver-haired shinobi shifted and he sent the businessman an icy glance. For a split second, Hinata thought he might have looked at her, too, but the contact was so fleeting it was nearly impossible to tell. She felt an overwhelming need to vacate the vicinity, but Kariya seemed well at ease. Whether he was extremely brave or extremely stupid was something Hinata could not fathom. It was only after the shinobi's tense shoulders relaxed did she feel comfortable enough to follow suit.

"Alright," Kakashi said agreeably. "But seeing as I don't know where anything is, surely you won't mind lending me Hanako-san here for these next few minutes."

"Sure," Kariya smirked. "Hanako-chan is somewhere around. Good luck finding her."

Kakashi scratched his head. "Then who is this uncomfortable-looking lady?" he asked, addressing Hinata.

"Her name is Taiyo."

"Pardon me," Hinata said quietly, eager to escape the attentions of both men. "But I can go with Shinobi-san. I know where everything is."

Kariya's jaw tightened. "Are you sure, Taiyo-san?" he said sweetly. "We were having a nice conversation before."

She nodded.

"Well, I guess it can't be helped," he sighed, smiling tightly. "I'm sure we will meet again, then."

Hinata bowed. "Please follow me, Shinobi-san." Without waiting for him to follow, Hinata calmly padded down the stairs, praying only she could hear the blood rushing through her heart.

Despite her incredible desire to make a break for it and run, Hinata led the tall shinobi down the croaky wooden stairs, taking one step at a time. Her skin prickled, neck slowly burning as she felt his heavy gaze behind her. Nervously, she unconsciously played with the ends of her long, pin-straight hair, trying not to break under the weight of his stare.

Forcefully she steeled herself and marched ahead, unwilling to let the shinobi's odd attentions frighten her. This, however, proved to be a difficult task-the staircase was dark and smelled of wet, decaying wood, and with only one lantern lighting the entirety of the stairs, their shadows flickered ominously against the adjacent walls.

Hinata gripped the wobbly railing tightly.

"I wouldn't rely on that if I were you," came the deep voice behind her. "You only need to apply a little more force on the railing for it to snap. If you move to the side I can walk in front of you and you can just tell me where to go."

"That's quite alright. We're nearly there."

She could hear him shrug behind her, his clothes shuffling slightly. "Alright."

Seconds later Hinata led him out of the dark passageway. Turning, she pointed to the kitchen door. "Here we are. Mako-san should be inside, she's the chef. She'll be able to help you."

Kakashi peered inside, cracking the door open. "No one's inside. The lights are off."

"Mako-san was just in there," Hinata said, refraining from groaning.

"She must have left-it's getting late," he hypothesized. "So, Taiyo-san…care to help an old man make some food?" Kakashi watched as the girl's internal struggles made themselves apparent on her face. "You don't trust me."

She stared at him, her moonlight-white eyes blinking up owlishly. Her silence said enough.

"It's all right," he reassured, slightly disappointed by the turn of events. Kakashi actually had no intention of making his client food, but had fully intended on gently prodding her about her suspicious boss Kariya Mugen. He'd also been curious about her—the timid woman had an aura about her that intrigued Kakashi. Her mysterious nature and eerily familiar features awoke an interest in him that he hadn't experienced since he was an ANBU captain all those years-all those lifetimes-ago. "It's probably best if you don't trust strangers wearing masks who also conveniently have at least fifty pounds and more than a few inches on you."

"I'm sorry," she said softly, embarrassed at having been so obvious.

"It's understandable." He lifted a hand lazily. "Well, see you around."

Hinata watched as Kakashi disappeared behind the door. She stared at the area where he was standing mere seconds before, befuddled by the odd man. Though she despised shinobi and everything they stood for, she found she couldn't help but be slightly thrown off by his general strangeness and seemingly straightforward attitude. All the shinobi she'd had the courtesy of meeting before were brutes; whether large, small, ugly, handsome, stupid or smart, they were all fiends interested in her and her eyes, and, by association, money. They didn't care who they hurt along the way—Hinata, Hanako, and the bartender downstairs could all attest to that.

_Don't trust him. _

With hardened resolution, Hinata turned away from the kitchen doors.

_All shinobi are the same.

* * *

_AN. Hey guys! So sorry, I know it's been a while—I intended to have this up about 3 weeks ago, but things got in the way (finals, vacation—to Belgium and England!, getting really sick, helping my sister move, friends, other life stuff…). Not to mention my fandom has totally drifted to Merlin, this program on BBC—for those of you who haven't heard of it, it's a really entertaining show I think some of you may like. To my fellow American watchers, seasons 1 and 2 are up on Hulu ^_^

Anyway, please let me know what you think! I haven't planned out much of this story, so I would really love your feedback. Unlike the other story I'm currently working on, A mirror for the sun, which is much more thought out, this one I basically write chapter by chapter so it's much harder for me to write. I'd love to know if people are still reading T_T


	4. Chapter 4

**Homecoming**

Chapter 3

* * *

I am sooo so sorry for this incredibly late update. Hopefully there are still some people out there reading this story!

To anyone waiting for AMFTS to be updated, please still be patient with me! Trying to overcome my writer's block has been more difficult than I expected. Reviews always help though ^_^

Also, my pen-name is different. Hope that hasn't thrown anyone off.

**Also, my apologies for not responding to all the reviewers.** It's usually a priority of mine but I hadn't checked my email in a looooong time and I thought it might get weird if I responded to people who reviewed several months before ^_^; Please know that I read them ALL! I actually had been re-reading them and it gave me motivation to write again, so THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYONE!

**And, last but not least, an enormous shout out and thanks to my beta** **Celia**, **who has been kindly and wonderfully beta-ing my writing since 2007.** She has been _extraordinarily_ patient with me as of late, beta-ing this chapter not once but twice, and consistently helping make my writing the best it could be. My skills are pretty rusty right now and she's been here the whole time helping me better everything I've thrown at her. (LOVE YOU CEE!)

On with the story!

* * *

_You killed me, Kawaakari bitch._

_My blood is dripping from your 'pure' hands._

_I __**will**__ come find you._

Hinata awoke with a choked gasp. Scanning the room frantically, she slumped in relief when she saw only damp wooden walls and pressed her forehead against the cool window.

The sun crept up behind stormy monsoon clouds. The heavy rain that had fallen for the past few days finally ceased—however temporarily. Blearily looking out, Hinata was grateful for even the minute amount of dawn light piercing through.

She shakily removed the threadbare blankets. The man's eyes had gleamed in the darkness, his blood running down in rivulets down gaunt cheeks. His teeth were sharp and yellowed, and when he'd spoken to her, spittle flew out of his mouth.

Despite his horrid, disfigured face, Hinata had easily recognized him as the man she'd killed before her arrival to Honbetsu.

Raised in the Kawaakari Shrine, Hinata had always been taught to respect all forms of life. The nonviolent life had been stressed, and Hinata had never concerned herself with self-defense. Rather, she'd immersed herself in the healing arts, discovering a love and purpose for bringing life back to those injured instead of taking it away. The thought that she had killed a man who—despite all odds, given his career choice and general horrid disposition—might have had a family looking for him nearly broke her heart, despite the knowledge that he very well could have led Hinata to her own death.

With a sigh, she headed to the bathroom, eager to wash away the pain of the night before. She twisted the shower nozzle with a flick of her wrist and stripped out of her clothes.

At the Shrine, Hinata had been trained to rise with the sun. However, unlike her fellow miko-in-training, she had enjoyed it. Her heart calmed as she recalled her younger days with her sisters. She'd always wake before everyone else and shower and finish her stretches before the other girls managed to turn off their alarms. Amused, she would sometimes watch as the morning zombies fell out of bed and trudged to the common showers. They would all eat breakfast together until they split for classes.

She stepped in, relishing the feel of the hot water running over her tired body. Thinking of her departed friends and teachers—and the Kawaakari-sama—always hurt. Despite remembering them nearly every day, Hinata had never truly grieved—nor the sacred funereal rituals been performed. It had been over a year since it had burned down, she realized guiltily. She would need to perform them soon—if the day allowed, Hinata would find a shrine nearby and see if there were any priests willing to perform the rites with consideration of her nearly nonexistent budget.

Perhaps she would even pray for the soul of the man whose life she'd ended.

Hinata tilted her head towards the shower head, allowing the water to spray directly onto her face. Only a few days had passed since the start of the monsoon season; she would not be able to leave Honbetsu until the river waters calmed. Hopefully, Hinata would be able to remain in the town for the rest of the season's duration without bumping into the shinobi too frequently.

_Fat chance_, sneered her realistic side. If the shinobi were staying the inn, she would run into them fairly often.

With another sigh, she stepped out of the bathtub and wrapped the towel around her body and prepared for the day ahead of her.

* * *

"Hatake Kakashi. Reporting with Uzumaki Naruto."

"Kakashi-san. Naruto-san. Welcome, welcome," Kariya Mugen said. "How are you gentlemen this lovely morning?" he asked, not looking up from his morning paper.

"Naruto and I have business to attend to," Kakashi replied, ignoring the greeting. "We will be in town for most of the day, so Sakura and Sai will be watching over your meeting today."

The newspaper hiding Kariya's face bent in half, revealing a sour visage. "Although I am ecstatic that Sakura-san and Sai-san will be joining me today, I believe I am paying your Hokage for _four_ shinobi to keep watch over these business meetings."

Underneath the black mask, Kakashi frowned.

It was true—Kariya was paying a ridiculously large amount of money to have Team 7 watch over his business meetings. Although Kariya was indeed trading diamonds, normal circumstances did not necessitate for four of the most powerful shinobi of a Hidden Village to protect such meetings.

"Of course, Kariya-san. But you must know that we are doing this for your own safety."

"I want you all here."

"Naruto will stay behind," Kakashi amended, hiding his annoyance well. He put a hand on Naruto's shoulder, squeezing slightly in warning. "He is next in line to be Hokage, after all."

His former student raised a blond brow slightly at the lie. Technically, Kakashi thought, it wasn't a lie; Naruto _was _next in line to be Hokage—just after him and not Tsunade.

"This one…" Kariya Mugen mused, his sharp green eyes assessing the young man. "He looks like an idiot. Are you telling me the truth?"

"Hey!" Naruto snapped defensively.

Kakashi refrained from rubbing his face. "Look—

"—You got a problem with me, say it to me—

"Don't get so excited, Naruto," Kakashi said to his fuming subordinate. "Kariya-san—

"I don't want to argue. You all need to be here for the meeting, am I understood?"

Kakashi's brows came down at the man's insistence.

"Kariya-san," he said slowly, as if speaking to a child. "You will have three of Konoha's brightest guarding you and your merchandise today. I cannot make today's meeting, but they are more than qualified enough to protect you while I take care of business in town." He paused, crossing his arms for emphasis. "If you are hiding something, I highly recommend that you tell me now."

Kariya glared for a split second before relaxing his facial muscles. "Forgive me," he said smoothly, returning to his paper. "I have been told time and again that my pride is my greatest fault. Go about your business, Kakashi-san. I am sure your three fine ninja friends will protect me well."

Kakashi barely stopped himself from rolling his eyes. The man was lying through his teeth, and if Naruto's own crossed arms were any indication of how he felt, then the younger man picked up on it too.

"If it's alright with you, I will be questioning some of your staff today to understand how business works around here," he informed. Kariya opened his mouth to protest, but seemingly thought better of it and merely nodded. Kakashi silently breathed in gratefully. "Expect my team to be here ten minutes before your meeting begins."

Kariya sighed. "Please be on time."

With a short nod, Kakashi left the room, Naruto trailing after.

"That guy," the blond muttered amongst some other choice words, after closing the door behind them.

"You need to learn how to control your temper, Naruto."

"But—

"You've been called worse. So have I. But you need to learn how to pick your battles. You aren't a twelve-year-old genin anymore—you'll be Hokage after me. It's not cute when you pick fights with your clients because they call you names."

Naruto frowned but heeded Kakashi's advice. "Yeah…I'll try."

Under his mask, Kakashi's lips lifted slightly. It was only a few years ago that Naruto would have pouted until he inevitably did something foolish to distract himself.

How had time passed so quickly? It seemed as if it was only yesterday that the bridge builder Tazuna riled Naruto so badly that Kakashi had to physically restrain his young student. Naruto had been tiny enough that Kakashi managed to control him with a single hand until Naruto panicked, realizing he was bleeding profusely out of his hand. The child had turned around, tears running down his chubby face, desperately begging Kakashi to save him.

Despite himself, Kakashi turned to grin at his former student. In spite of all his hardships, Naruto had proven to be a big-hearted and determined boy and had grown into a man of whom Kakashi could be proud.

Feeling an unusual surge of affection, Kakashi shuffled Naruto's hair, ignoring Naruto's indignant yelp.

"Hey—oh look! There's that girl—Hanako," he said, pointing out the window. Kakashi looked around Naruto's broad shoulders—they were nearly the same height now—to see their pregnant hostess speaking to a girl with long, dark hair. "You should probably go talk to her now while she's out of earshot of the people working here."

The older shinobi nodded. "I'll go soon. You tell Sakura and Sai you'll be with them today and make sure you have someone guarding the window, watching out for suspicious people—

"I know, Kakashi-sensei, I know. You're like a worried mother. We have it under control."

"Then I leave it to you. We'll meet in your room tonight at 8 to exchange information. Good luck."

"You got it!"

* * *

Hinata left the tavern, eagerly inhaling the fresh, dewy air. She hadn't realized just how damp the atmosphere had been inside the inn, but now breathing the morning air, she couldn't help but close her eyes and inhale deeply in bliss. A small, humid wind whispered across the nape of her neck and she tilted her head back, enjoying the first sunny day she'd experienced while in Honbetsu.

The hair on the back of her neck rose. Tensing, Hinata's eyes flicked open, alerted to the strange feeling of being watched.

"Taiyo-san!"

Hinata relaxed and turned to the girl behind her. "Hanako-san."

"Where are you off to so early?" the younger girl asked, carrying a set of trays. Her protruding stomach could have carried one on its own, but Hinata refrained from commenting.

Instead, she smiled slightly. "Actually, maybe you can help me. I was hoping to find a shrine today before I went to work."

"A shrine?" Hanako repeated curiously. "What for?"

Hinata paused. Confiding in Hanako was potentially dangerous, she didn't know _who_ the girl could slip what to. But Hinata was undeniably lonely; it was refreshing to have a friend who cared about her enough not only to ask where she was going, but who also genuinely cared about the answer.

"It's been sometime since my loved ones have passed," Hinata finally settled on saying. "I have not yet buried them."

The younger girl's eyes softened. "I understand. There's a shrine nearby for the Moon Goddess at the top of the hill—you can go there. The keeper there is a nice old man. He should be able to help you out."

"Thank you, Hanako-san. Do you want me to bring back anything for you?"

"No, no. But— " Hanako bit off, cheeks coloring.

"Yes?" Hinata asked, smiling. "You can tell me, if you want."

"Could you pray for the baby's health? She's been kicking a lot and I feel more pressure on my womb. I think she's about ready to come out…I know almost everyone thinks of praying at the temple to be superstition, but I'm so nervous!"

It was the first time that Hinata had seen the girl show any sort of excitement about the child she was about to bring into the world. Though it was understood that Hanako had no intention of involving her child's father in either her life or the baby's—whether that was by choice or not—Hinata pitied the young girl for her enormous burden. Hanako was a child about to bear one.

"I don't consider it superstition," Hinata assured. She took Hanako's frail hand into her own and squeezed it gently. "I would be happy to pray for your child's health."

The girl sniffed and rubbed her glossy eyes. "Th-thank you, Taiyo-san. It's nice to have a girlfriend after so long."

Hinata smiled gently.

"Please take care and don't strain yourself too much. It seems as if your little one will come into this world at any minute."

"I'm enormous, I know," Hanako said with a sigh. "You know…I wanted to talk to you."

"What is it?"

Hanako's face tightened slightly.

"The rain has let up, and today is going to be a good day. You should leave Honbetsu."

Taken aback by the uncharacteristically serious change of topic, Hinata focused intently on the younger girl. "What's wrong, Hanako?"

Hanako's eyes quickly darted left and right before she continued in a low voice. "I'm worried for you, Taiyo-san. Go to the shrine and get your business done, but leave as soon as you can."

Hinata's eyes widened and her mouth parted slightly. Her heart beat frantically—did Hanako somehow know about the men chasing her? Were they there? Or did she mean something else entirely?

"Is there something I should know, Hanako?"

"I don't want you to get hurt..." she whispered. Hinata leaned forward so she could hear better. "Kariya-sama-"

Before she had time to finish, a deep voice interrupted.

"Excuse me."

Hinata swiveled around, her mood taking a deeper plunge as she took in the tall, silver-haired man in front of her.

"Shinobi-san."

An eye creased as the man smiled underneath his black mask. "Yo."

Hinata stepped back, a hand clutching at her pounding chest.

Kakashi watched Taiyo, fascinated by the open display of emotion on the girl's face before she settled on a polite distance.

"Can I help you?"

"I was hoping to speak to your friend here. Hanako-san, I believe?"

The younger girl also took a step back, paling substantially.

"I don't mean you any harm," he said gently. "I just need to ask you a few questions."

Hanako frowned and rubbed her rather large belly protectively. "I'll see you later, Taiyo-san. I don't want you to be late," she said meaningfully, dismissing her friend.

Hinata looked between them, torn between staying and demanding answers, and going off to work for money she desperately needed. Finally, she nodded.

Hanako waved before turning to Kakashi.

"Does Kariya-sama know? I don't want to get in trouble."

Kakashi's eyes followed the girl's hand rubbing soothing circles across the span of her pregnant belly. Unlike Taiyo, Hanako seemed much more fearful of Kariya.

"He knows. I've told him this morning."

Hanako looked at him doubtfully. "Why don't you just ask the bartender—Ganju?"

"I think we both know you have more knowledge of how the tavern works better than anyone else in that building, Hanako-san."

The girl averted her gaze, unable to refute his claim. In Kakashi's vast experience as a shinobi, he had always found that the maids in households and businesses always knew, far better than anyone else, the dealings and gossip of their places of work. Finally, she lifted her head, helplessness written on her young face.

"Do I have a choice?"

"You always have a choice, Hanako-san."

"But…he has eyes and ears everywhere," Hanako whispered.

Kakashi resisted the urge to rub the bridge of his nose—of course Kariya had men stationed throughout the town. What simple, innocent businessman didn't?

"He's not just a merchant, is he?" he asked flatly. "I didn't think so."

Hanako blanched, surprised he was able to gather so much information from such a small statement. "Please—Shinobi-san—don't get me in trouble," she begged. "He'll send me away…"

"Look, I'm going to ask you some questions. You can choose to answer them or not. Does that sound fair? That way, if Kariya-san does get upset, you can at least honestly tell him you haven't told me anything he wouldn't want me to know."

Hanako sighed deeply in defeat.

"Alright. But on one condition."

Kakashi slumped.

* * *

Team 7 slouched unhappily against the wall of their client's room. After performing body searches on Tanaka Ichiro's trading partners for hidden weapons, the three shinobi quickly lost interest once the men began bartering.

"I wonder what Kakashi-senpai is up to."

"Yeah, that jerk probably left us like this on purpose. I'm going to kill him when he gets back," Naruto grumbled as he produced a tiny, swirling ball of chakra in the palm of his hand.

Sakura watched as her teammate attempted to mold the chakra into different shapes. So far, Naruto had managed to create a ball and something that almost resembled a rabbit head.

She tore away her attention from the light in Naruto's palm, determinedly keeping her eyes on her angry clients.

"THAT PRICE IS ABSURD—

"YOU MUST BE KIDDING IF YOU THINK I'LL LOWER—

"YOU WOULD BE ROBBING ME!" Kariya roared, spittle flying from his mouth.

"This," Naruto muttered amongst the shouting, "is seriously the worst babysitting mission ever."

"Really?" Sakura asked dubiously, though glad for the distraction. "Even worse than that time the one kid threw up all over your head in Amegakure?"

The young man paused to think. "Yes."

She sent him an exasperated look.

"We aren't getting any action!" Naruto complained defensively. "We're just watching some old, fat guys scream at each other about money. We aren't even travelling, just sitting here, _watching_ them get pissed off at each other for hours."

"Which is something we should be grateful for," Sakura reminded him. "It makes our job easier, idiot."

"Whatever."

"Just shut up and pick your ears or something. I don't need to hear complaining from you, too," she said, jutting her head towards the quarrelling men at the table. Naruto pouted and crossed his arms with a huff.

Sakura mimicked his actions and turned to their client. There was something truly off-putting about him, and at this point in her career, Sakura was more than comfortable with trusting her shinobi instinct. Her eyes followed him as he interacted not only with his clients, but with his personal bodyguards and business partners.

Kariya was slick, recovering well after losing his temper and still managing to charm his enormous customer. He also treated his bodyguards and partners well enough, speaking to them with more respect than Sakura would have imagined him capable of. Despite watching him now, it was impossible to forget their initial meeting, during which his face brightened upon seeing her after snapping at Kakashi. He was too shrewd for her comfort, and she wondered what kinds of things he was capable of-what horrible things he must have done in the past to need shinobi protection.

Sakura was pulled out of her thoughts as the meeting came to a close.

"If none of my merchandise here interests you, I may have something else in another collection that may whet your appetite, Hideki-san," Kariya said, forcefully calming himself. "_Diamond eyes_, of the utmost quality. A true gem, unlike any other you've seen—I guarantee it."

Hideki paused, the red hue fading from his chubby face.

"Truly?" he asked, sounding dubious.

"I have personally ensured their voyage here, with only my most trusted men guarding them. A man has even lost his life protecting it. Do not doubt me, Hideki-san, because you will regret it."

There seemed to be some unspoken communication between the two before the men relaxed.

"I want to see them before I buy anything, Kariya Mugen-san. When I have been assured that they are the real thing, then we'll talk."

"Of course," Kariya assured with a small bow. "Come back in a few days and I will have them here on display for your pleasure."

The fat businessman frowned. "I'm leaving in two days. I can't possibly wait any longer."

Kariya shrugged. "I need a few more days to get them here. Take it or leave it."

Hideki tutted impatiently. "You may be costing me a fortune, Kariya. This better be the real deal or even your shinobi will not be able to protect you."

Sakura tensed at the threat and insult to her skills.

"Don't be so sure," she snarled.

Hideki threw her an unimpressed look before turning back to Kariya. "Four days. That's all you get before I leave."

Kariya waved an arm in dismissal. "You won't be disappointed. No one ever is," he promised with a strange glint in his eyes.

Sakura retreated to the back of the room, ignoring the way Naruto fearfully watched her eyebrow tweak up and down as the muscle spasmed. Sai, on the other hand, was uncharacteristically quiet, intently focused on the men in front of them.

"What is it, Sai?"

He turned away from the businessmen to look at Sakura. He seemed somewhat disturbed but shrugged off her concern.

"Nothing."

With a shrug of her own, Sakura once again threw her back against the wall and watched as the long hand on the clock slowly ticked away.

* * *

Hours passed before Hinata could drag herself out of the small restaurant.

It had been a difficult decision to make, but Hinata had carefully considered her options before deciding to talk to Hanako before leaving town. The chances, Hinata figured, that Hanako knew the people that were chasing her were so low that she decided that the girl must have been trying to warn her against something else. Though she was unhappy at the prospect that there was another danger lingering in the shadows, it was a relief to think that she was still relatively safe from the more dangerous threat literally chasing her across the continent.

So, instead of skipping town like Hanako had insisted, Hinata ended up working a double shift at the restaurant, her co-worker Sato Shinji having had left because of a family emergency. Though Hinata desperately wanted to go to the shrine to perform the rituals for her miko sisters, she found that she couldn't say no to the panicked man.

Exhausted, she half-heartedly waved to the owner as she slipped under the curtained back exit.

She breathed in deeply. Though the sun was beginning to set, it was still somewhat bright outside. She didn't particularly cherish the thought of heading back to the tavern—what with its eardrum-shattering, loud music and highly suspicious owners, with highly suspicious shinobi. Her aversion for the tavern coupled with the breezy, sunny remnants of the day made up her mind to walk to the shrine, regardless of whether or not a priest would be present. Plus, she remembered with a slight smile, she had promised Hanako to pray for the health of her unborn child.

With a lighter step, she began to walk towards the top of the hill.

Kicking a small rock, Hinata pondered on Hanako's meeting with the shinobi. Had he bothered her too much? What a question, she mended. He was a shinobi; sneaky by nature, of course he harassed the young, vulnerable girl in no position to refuse. The real question concerned how much trouble Hanako would face if Kariya-san discovered she was complying with the shinobi…unless he had interrogated other servants, in which case Hanako would be spared? Or would they all be punished?

Hinata quickly pushed the thoughts away. She was walking to clear her mind, not to agitate it further. Plus, she thought, Hanako had survived well enough on her own before Hinata had met her; a few more hours apart from each other would not hurt either of them.

She glanced over at the river, entranced by the pinks and oranges reflecting in the raging, rushing waters.

"_Do you know, Hinata, why we are called the Kawaakari?"_

"_No, Kawaakari-sama."_

"_Kawaakari is the gleam of the last light on a river's surface at dusk; it is the glow of a river in the darkness*. While the sun and moon in the sky guide with their light, we provide light from the Earth. It will serve you well to remember that."_

"_Yes, Kawaakari-sama."_

How long ago had that conversation taken place? Hinata wondered. It felt like a lifetime ago—though, realistically, it had only been a matter of months. Or, she acknowledged, it actually _had_ been a different life—one in which her feet were not calloused by the earth beneath her, in which her hair had not begun to prematurely silver with fear and stress—a life in which she was with her loving sisters and Mother Priestess—the Kawaakari-sama.

Reaching the Shrine had taken little time. She sat down on a smooth rock, feeling the heaviness in her heart weigh her down. It had been over a year since their deaths but Hinata felt their loss keenly.

She closed her eyes and put her palms together, praying for the safe journey of her passed family.

_This is not my offering to your souls. Please wait; I will do it soon._

Hinata tensed after a moment, hearing footsteps come closer to her resting spot. Her eyes peeled open and she watched fearfully as a tall man made his way down the temple stairs. A rustle in the bushes distracted her for only a moment before she turned her full attention back to the shinobi.

"Nice view from up here, isn't it?"

Hinata was silent, fearing that he had followed her to the shrine. What on earth did he want with her, regardless?

"Are…are you here to pray, Shinobi-san?" she asked slowly, fervently hoping that their meeting was sheer coincidence. He had come from _inside_ the temple, after all, which meant he had arrived there before her...

"Pray?" Kakashi echoed.

The question was simple, but aside from flat out asking him to wear a goat suit and striptease, it was quite possibly the most ridiculous thing she could have asked him.

Though he was sure there existed an afterlife—having had a small taste of it after Pein's invasion—Kakashi hardly believed in the power of prayer and the accompanying thought of a benevolent god or goddess. One struck deals with demons and gods, as evidenced by Konoha's own esteemed Second and Fourth Hokage, respectively; _prayer_ never got anyone anywhere.

"No, Taiyo-san. I didn't come here to pray."

He watched as the young woman tensed and paled.

"Why are you here, Shinobi-san?" she asked quietly.

Kakashi was impressed with Taiyo's acting skills. She was obviously terrified of what he would say, though he supposed he would also be frightened if he were in her shoes as a young, attractive woman with no real defensive skills, weighing-at the very least-fifty pounds less than he, who had made it clear she wanted nothing to do with him. Despite her fear, she managed to calmly ask his intentions before attempting to make a run for it, if her tapping feet were any indication.

This, added to the fact that she had no idea that a man had been hiding the bushes watching her the whole time, made Kakashi pity the white-eyed girl.

He sighed.

He really was too nice.

"I'm here because Hanako-san is concerned for you. She asked me to help you as repayment for her answering my questions."

"Help me?"

"She said you needed to catch a reliable boat out of Honbetsu," he replied, slightly disappointed that he would not be able to solve the mystery that was Taiyo before leaving the small town. But he shrugged it off, aware there were other problems that needed his attention more desperately than a mysterious woman whom he would again never see.

"I've decided not to go today. It was generous of Hanako-san to ask you to help me, but unneeded. Thank you."

Kakashi eyed her for a moment.

"Alright. Would you like to escort me back to the tavern? Or," he asked, the thought just coming to him, "are you waiting for me to leave so that you can meet with that gentleman hiding in the bushes?"

Taiyo's head swung around so fast that Kakashi was surprised she hadn't given herself whiplash.

"What?"

"Over there," he said, nodding to her left. "I guess you aren't supposed to be meeting anyone here?"

"No!"

"I think we should ask him what he's doing here, no?"

Before Taiyo could answer, a kunai flew out from beside her.

Kakashi stepped aside and let the weapon fly by past him, ignoring Taiyo's startled gasp. He disappeared in a haze of smoke and transported himself behind the man scrambling to escape the floor of the shrubbery. Kakashi kicked him out of his hiding place—none too gently—and restrained him quickly.

The man grunted as Kakashi easily pulled at the heavier man's arms.

"Is there something I can help you with?" Kakashi asked the balding man. Decorated with bruises and tattoos, the man ignored him in favor for turning his attention to Taiyo.

"I've found you, you little bitch," he rasped at the woman between deep breaths. Kakashi could practically feel the malice leaking from the stockier man's being and pushed him down further for extra security. He looked at Taiyo's fearful face, pitying the woman even further as she stared at the bruised man in shock. "I'm going to make you pay for what you did to Hachi."

"I...I didn't mean to, I swear-

Kakashi frowned at the sheer and absolute terror in Taiyo's voice. He pushed the man's tattooed face into the mud to prevent him from speaking further. The thug, however, didn't seem to mind eating mud in order to speak.

"We're coming for you, Hinata-sama."

* * *

Please let me know what you think! Would love to hear your thoughts. I can't promise a quick update because life gets unexpectedly SUPER busy, but I will try my best ^_^


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